Page 32 - AeM_May_2014
P. 32
COMPANIES & CAMPAIGNS
Asia is
pioneering
Apple’s NFC
intentions
The current excitement about the fact that the iPhone 6 But there are many indications that the NFC decision
will likely be NFC-enabled, that Apple is testing an NFC- by Apple was anticipated by the market - which means
capable POS system based on the iPhone 5S in their the innovative Asian growth market, the Chinese regu-
own stores, and that the company is now putting its mon- lation by the People Bank of China (PBOC), the emerg-
ey on NFC, is obviously reason for a lot of talk and spec- ing state-funded NFC-based mobile payment platform
ulations. But the actual dimension of Apple's recent deci- of Chinese banks, including China Mobile (for short: the
sions and the likely implications for the next generation Apple customers China Mobile and Union Pay).
of payment becomes apparent only in the overall context
of things. It’s a fact that payments via smart cards or mobile de-
vices are by now widespread in Asia, especially due to
The partnership between Apple with the only credit card FeliCa (short for Felicity Card) technology – which is
organization in China is crucial, as that way the world's similar to NFC -for payment processing and other value
largest mobile payment ecosystem could legally develop: -added services. Given the huge Chinese/Asian market
Union Pay, among others, is used by the Chinese banks with its enormous growth potential for NFC mobile pay-
as an interbank network connecting the ATMs of 14 Chi- ments (China holds currently only 0.8 % of the market)
nese banks. the decision for Apple’s billion dollar question was easy
to make: Apple integrates NFC into their popular devic-
Thus, the partnership and the relationship to the largest es in the Asian market – becoming provider, TSM and
mobile operator, China Mobile, is a brilliant move on the innovator of a wallet - and adds to their portfolio ap-
part of Apple to play a more important role in this ecosys- proximately 600 million credit card users which are cur-
tem: As device manufacturers, as part of the Trusted rently Chinese credit card customers of Union Pay. The
Service Manager (TSM), and as an innovator of a Chi- well-known innovator of solution could therefore devel-
nese wallet based on different radio technologies such op considerable momentum with a NFC-enabled iPh-
as NFC or BLE/iBeacons. one that way. ◊
By Daniela La Marca
32 Asian eMarketing May 2014 - Multichannel Marketing— SoLoMo
Asia is
pioneering
Apple’s NFC
intentions
The current excitement about the fact that the iPhone 6 But there are many indications that the NFC decision
will likely be NFC-enabled, that Apple is testing an NFC- by Apple was anticipated by the market - which means
capable POS system based on the iPhone 5S in their the innovative Asian growth market, the Chinese regu-
own stores, and that the company is now putting its mon- lation by the People Bank of China (PBOC), the emerg-
ey on NFC, is obviously reason for a lot of talk and spec- ing state-funded NFC-based mobile payment platform
ulations. But the actual dimension of Apple's recent deci- of Chinese banks, including China Mobile (for short: the
sions and the likely implications for the next generation Apple customers China Mobile and Union Pay).
of payment becomes apparent only in the overall context
of things. It’s a fact that payments via smart cards or mobile de-
vices are by now widespread in Asia, especially due to
The partnership between Apple with the only credit card FeliCa (short for Felicity Card) technology – which is
organization in China is crucial, as that way the world's similar to NFC -for payment processing and other value
largest mobile payment ecosystem could legally develop: -added services. Given the huge Chinese/Asian market
Union Pay, among others, is used by the Chinese banks with its enormous growth potential for NFC mobile pay-
as an interbank network connecting the ATMs of 14 Chi- ments (China holds currently only 0.8 % of the market)
nese banks. the decision for Apple’s billion dollar question was easy
to make: Apple integrates NFC into their popular devic-
Thus, the partnership and the relationship to the largest es in the Asian market – becoming provider, TSM and
mobile operator, China Mobile, is a brilliant move on the innovator of a wallet - and adds to their portfolio ap-
part of Apple to play a more important role in this ecosys- proximately 600 million credit card users which are cur-
tem: As device manufacturers, as part of the Trusted rently Chinese credit card customers of Union Pay. The
Service Manager (TSM), and as an innovator of a Chi- well-known innovator of solution could therefore devel-
nese wallet based on different radio technologies such op considerable momentum with a NFC-enabled iPh-
as NFC or BLE/iBeacons. one that way. ◊
By Daniela La Marca
32 Asian eMarketing May 2014 - Multichannel Marketing— SoLoMo
